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texting from Tupperware Heights

2015 May 8
by Rachel Turiel

horse campJust a 53 pound girl leading an 1000 pound pony to the riding arena. 

The arugula is fading out, (though if you invite us over for dinner in the next week, we will show up with a beautiful arugula salad that no kids will eat, except my friend Jennifer’s kids, who, while waiting for dinner, will go outside and eat dandelions. I am trying to splice some of their DNA into Col and Rose’s).

It turns out stripping hundreds of arugula leaves off stems is great therapy plus mindfulness practice plus Mama quiet time. It’s kind of like when the kids were very young and scared of the vacuum. When I needed no one to ask anything of me for ten minutes, I would plug in the vacuum and the kids would hide in their room while I buzzed around the house in a weird, loud state of relief that only someone who felt like time might actually be going backwards could appreciate. Now, I go outside and pick arugula.

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Col decided to teach Rose how to play chess approximately ten minutes before we had to leave for shared school, and if waking a sleeping baby is taboo, than try interrupting two harmonious siblings.

It’s been raining here (as in, almost daily this past week) which has been cheering me up immensely. All the seeds I planted a few weeks ago are coming up, including new rows of ARUGULA, which made me flinch at first, and then smile and give thanks.

Dan has been away for a week helping his mom in New Jersey on house projects. Dan’s mom has raised such kind, devoted sons, and just in case Col didn’t get the Grow Up and Pamper Mom gene, I like to mention regularly to him, “I bet Nana Judy is just thrilled to have Daddy helping her!”

I’ve been texting Dan with Tupperware Heights updates: La Plata Mtns socked in again.  Simps heard in spruce tree across the street. (Simps are baby crows).  Col spots bullock’s oriole in yard.  You know, the big news. I’ve realized that what I miss so much about Dan (besides the fact that he’s mastered the coffee/water ratio of our french press and isn’t squeamish about trekking through our coon-inhabited yard at night to lock up the chickens) is how we partner in celebrating the ordinary details.

I think this picture will cheer me up for approximately the rest of my life.

pony

This too.horse camp2

And well, animal bonding of a different nature.
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I read two books recently that I want to recommend. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is a fast, suspenseful and masterfully written saga of mothers and children, all of whom you can relate to even if you don’t want to admit it. There is bad behavior, humor, secrets, friendship and bonus, a murder mystery.

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I can still barely talk about the memoir, A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout. It’s the true story of a Canadian world-traveler, held by kidnappers in Somalia for over 400 days. I stayed up until 3am finishing it because it was so harrowingly gripping. And yet, Lindhout is courageous and forgiving and manages to tell her story without any extra drama. horse camp7

Finally, I am extremely excited to share that I’ll be teaching the creative writing portion at two sessions of Art of Mindfulness Summer Camp for Kids. Children, ages 6-12, will rotate through mindfulness practice, yoga, theatre, drama, visual art and creative writing, each modality anchored in a child-friendly sense of mindfulness. (Mindfulness creates space…replacing impulsive reactions with thoughtful responses).The second session is 50% full, and scholarships are available courtesy of Inhabit. For more info, go here.

Art of Mindfulness flyer_final

Have a superb Mother’s Day/May weekend.

xo,

Rachel



6 Responses leave one →
  1. Anne permalink
    May 8, 2015

    I always love your book recs, and I can’t believe I haven’t read big little lies. Have you read the Husband’s Secret by her? Looooved it, and of course what Alice forgot as well. Sorry lazy phone typing here hence the no proper caps. Speaking of mother/daughter murder mystery books, have you read reconstructing Amelia? Perfect beach (or in my case hospital waiting to hAve baby) read.

  2. Ellen permalink
    May 8, 2015

    I’ve read about 4 of Liane Moriarty’s books…Big Little Lies is my favorite, but they’re all good …fun to read with surprising plot twists, humor, and believable characters.

  3. Ellie permalink
    May 8, 2015

    I know why the two pictures of the hair-clipped horse will cheer you for the rest of your life. Me, too, and I have never even met Rose.

  4. May 9, 2015

    HI Rachel
    You must have seen my recent FB post on the hunt for Tupperware lids.
    I love seeing The Art of Mindfulness Kids Camps. How cool is that and how wonderful that you will be teaching writing.
    I had to laugh out loud at Rose’s hairstyling on the horse.

  5. Rachel W permalink
    May 9, 2015

    Oh how I wish you were my neighbor. Reading your site is not quite as good as chatting with you over the fence, but it is wonderfully written, and I am always excited to see a new post. Thank you for the entertainment, mayo recipe, edible weed identification, and the inspiration to be a better parent.

  6. Carrie permalink
    May 13, 2015

    Oh my heart that pic..
    That camp sounds so good!!
    Why don’t we have stuff like that in LA
    Xoxo

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